*EPF507 03/23/01
Text: U.S. Calls on Vietnam to Permit Access to Central Highlands
(Cites concerns about well being of Vietnamese Montagnards) (190)

The U.S. Department of State called upon the Vietnamese government March 23 to grant diplomatic personnel and independent observers access to the Vietnamese Central Highlands.

Following is the text of the statement:

(begin text)

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesman

March 23, 2001

STATEMENT BY RICHARD BOUCHER, SPOKESMAN

Access to the Vietnamese Central Highlands

In the aftermath of protests in February in the Central Highlands region of Vietnam, Americans of Vietnamese Montagnard origin have expressed concerns about the well being of their relatives in the Central Highlands area; They have been largely unsuccessful in attempts to contact their relatives in Vietnam, and the area remains closed to most foreigners, including diplomats. The Department of State calls upon the Vietnamese government to permit access to the Central Highlands by U.S. and other diplomatic personnel as well as other independent observers.

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(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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